Ways to Donate
Beyond our goat fundraising campaign and awesome prizes, we've also created some "Goat Island" t-shirts to commemorate this fun event. Click the pictures below to shop.
Why Goats? Why Now?
We'll be honest, Maclellan Island is an overgrown mess. It's hard to manage invasive species like English Ivy, but it's even harder when those plants are on an island and your organization doesn't own a boat. For years we've relied on kind souls (shoutout to Randy Whorton from Wild Trails!) and volunteers to help us pull up the pesky plants, but with an island that is 20+ acres, it just isn't sustainable and it doesn't work long-term.
We tried to do a prescribed burn on Maclellan Island and it didn't take off like we had hoped. You can read more about that here--https://newschannel9.com/news/local/burning-questions-why-did-the-controlled-burn-on-maclellan-island-fizzle-out-invasive-species-ecological-nature-preserve-chattanooga#
Here's the new plan. We're going to use the natural grazing tendencies of goats to clear out the English Ivy, the Mungo Grass, the Poison Ivy, and all the other pesky plants. Will they end up eating some native plants? Probably. But those native species don't stand a chance if we don't remove the things choking them out. It's not a permanent solution, but it will allow us to more easily manage the land in the future. This is just the first step in an extensive land management plan for Maclellan Island. |
GOAT FUNDRAISER FAQS:
❓What happens if it floods? The likelihood of the island completely flooding over is tiny. If there is even a chance that we get so much rain that it endangers the goats, we will take the goats off the island and back to the mainland. ❓$5,000 is way too much money to spend on a camping trip with goats It’s no small chunk of change. We know that not everyone will be able to afford that and we've added a "camping lottery" option, which allows folks to enter for a chance to camp on the island. We’re a non-profit who receives no government funding and we protect over 500 acres of wilderness in Hamilton County and we rely on donations to help us do so. ❓If I buy the XYZ tier, do I get the lower tiers as well? You sure do! ❓Who is going to take care of the goats? Are they going to be protected? We have volunteers, staff, and our shepherd who will make sure that the goats are safe and healthy at all times. We will be closely monitoring them and limiting the number of folks who have access to the goats. ❓How long will the goats be there? A few weeks to a month. ❓Can I come see the goats? For the safety of the goats we are limiting the number of people who have access to the goats. The island will be closed to the public for the entirety of the goats stay. The only exceptions are the guided tours we will provide and the lucky folks who get to camp. ❓This is a scam! They're just taking your money! Nope, not a scam. Just a conservation organization trying to raise some money and save the world. ❓I want to help with this! I can't donate, but I have time/experience. We would love all the help we can get! Please email us at admin@chattaudubon.org. |
There are several reasons why goats make the most sense for the land management and conservation of Maclellan.
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If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, you can email admin@chattaudubon.org or call us at 423-892-1499